Dogs gather essential social information using their sense of smell, whether smelling other dogs directly or by sniffing their urine and faeces.

Marking serves as a way to claim territory, advertise mating availability and to support the social order. A dogs society is based on hierarchy, it's what they understand. They communicate age, gender and status within their packs via the pheromones in their urine. Both male and female animals can engage in marking behaviour.

A dog uses urine marking to help make a new environment smell like home, masking unfamiliar odours with their own scent.

In addition, marking functions as an efficient way to protect a dog's perceived space. It's much more efficient than physically challenging each interloper who approaches that space.